Helton gets his first hit of spring training

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. --Jeff Francis is way ahead of schedule for the start of the Colorado Rockies' season. Todd Helton could use a some more good at-bats.

Francis pitched four shutout inning Tuesday and Helton had his first hit and RBI as the Rockies beat the Chicago Cubs 6-3 to snap a three-game losing streak.

"I threw a couple of nice curveballs early and then was able to speed it up later in the count, and that worked very well," said Francis who has not allowed a run and only six hits in nine innings. "Now I can work on some other pitches in my other starts."

Helton, a .320 hitter who was limited to 69 games and a career-low .238 average while fighting hip problems last season, gave Colorado a-1-0 lead in the first with an opposite-field ground-rule double. It was only his second spring game and third at-bat. Helton grounded out sharply to the pitcher in his other at-bat. His timing at the plate looked off.

The only hit Francis gave up was bloop single to Cubs starter Scott Feldman, who signed as a free agent with the Cubs after six-plus seasons with the Texas Rangers.

Feldman, expected to be in the Cubs' rotation, gave up four runs and six hits while facing 13 batters in a little over two innings.

The results were not what Feldman hoped for in his second spring game, but he wasn't discouraged.

"If you're going to have a game like today, it's best that it comes in the spring," he said. "Spring is the time you work things out.

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I'm going to get two or three more starts so I'm just going to go out there and hone the things I do. I'm very hopeful."

Edwin Maysonet hit an inside the park homer for the Cubs in the fifth, and non-roster invitee infielder Brad Nelson added a solo shot in the ninth, his second of the spring.

Wilin Rosario hit his first home run, a two-run shot in the third. Colorado had 12 hits including two by Kent Matthes.

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